K: Displaced King
by Sarielgrace
Summary: In a world of Kings and psychic powers, anything is possible. An unexpected tumble into a new world may be the last pressing need on Munakata Aneko's mind as she finds herself in a familiar place with familiar faces. It is a world where small changes made huge impacts, but will she be able to get home?
1. Khase

"Dad," a woman with dark blue hair and red eyes spoke to a hologram. Her PDA was thin, with a hard light projector nestled in the top corner of the screen. "I have a bad feeling about this mission," she confided.

"I understand," the man on the receiving end replied, "I know you, Aneko-chan, and you will prevail." Aneko smiled and looked through the window of the helicopter as it neared a helipad.

"I love you, dad. If something happens…" Aneko trailed off, "Tell mom and Anna-chan I love them too, alright?"

"I will. You've been the Blue King for the last five years. You'll be alright, I believe in you," Munakata Reishi reassured his daughter, looking every bit the Blue King he once was.

Aneko could hear the woman, Hara-san manning the helicopter shout that they were getting ready to land, and with a last smile to her father, the PDA's projector turned off.

"Don't worry about landing!" she told Hara, shouting over the sound of the copter blades, and she stood up, firmly attaching her saber to her left side. The woman opened the helicopter door, feeling the air whipping around her, and she jumped.

A rush of excitement set fire in her blood as she landed gracefully in front of her Squad 1, the Clansmen not even reacting to their King dropping in literally.

"We of SCEPTER 4 carry out our duties as men of the sword. We do not allow disorder on consecrated land, we do not allow violence in this world, we clear the fog that threatens our boundaries!" Munakata Aneko shouted, and her commander, Sato Nori nodded, turning to SCEPTER 4's Squad 1. The silver haired Blue clansman gave the order, "Draw your swords!" The eight other clansmen made a line, shouting and drawing their swords.

"Aoki, ready!"

"Takasu, ready!"

"Etsuko, ready!"

"Hiori, ready!"

"Ikeda, ready!"

"Sasaki, ready!"

"Suzuki, ready!"

"Rumiko, ready!"

"Maeda, ready!"

Nori's saber was withdrawn smoothly, a slight smile emerging, "Sato, ready." He grinned, awaiting Munakata's order.

Blue glittered over Aneko's saber handle, the mechanism unlocking. "Munakata. Ready! Freeze them so cold, they burn!" The jungle members scattered when blue aura surrounded the Blue Clan, and they split up, blue aura chasing wisps of green.

Aneko ran after the helmetless ring leader, following him into an alleyway, shadowing the Strain while Saito followed directly behind her. She let blue aura flare as she raised her saber when a shimmer of light exuded from her target. She called out to the Strain, "Shiraki Sugita! In the accordance of SCEPTER 4's Strain laws, I order you stop!"

The Strain looked back, a smirk on his face as sunlight glanced off his silvery hair. He stopped suddenly, making Aneko slam into him as silver light overtook her vision.


	2. A khange of pace

Aneko blinked as the light faded, the running footsteps of the Strain moving quickly away. She recollected herself, getting to her feet. Immediately, the woman took in her surroundings, noticing differences in the architecture. Walls that were once chipping and acid scarred were brand new, the initial dirtiness of the alley clean.

The woman made her way through the alley, she was greeted with loads of people, walking around with decades old technology. She straightened her blue uniform, taking out her PDA, which had a faint signal. Her saber was sheathed swiftly, the lock activating once it couldn't sense the presence of active aura.

Aneko made her way through familiar streets, although most of them looked newer than she remembered, all the way to SCEPTER 4's headquarters. The woman mulled over what had happened on the way there, recalling that the Strain was rumored to have the power to slip through dimensions. She paused, a familiar figure leaving the building, although he looked decades younger than she knew.

"Fushimi-san?" she asked, and the man in question's head snapped up from his PDA, his eyes narrowing behind blocky frames.

"Who are you? How do you know my name?" asked the man icily, Aneko being taken aback by the hostility.

"I am requesting an audience with the Blue King," said Aneko immediately, hand perched on her saber. She calmed the blue aura inside her, not intending to start a fight.

"And why should I let you? For all I know, you're a civilian dressing up as a SCEPTER 4 officer like some sort of demented Halloween costume," Fushimi drawled, a hand moving to grab at his own saber, while the other prepared to take a knife out of his harness.

"Every moment I stay here, the Strain moves farther away. I don't have time for this, Fushimi Saruhiko," warned Aneko, and she called upon her blue aura, letting it fill her body with an icy rush of power. She could feel her Sanctum react to her will, and she deflected thrown knives with a quick pulse of blue energy, knocking them into the concrete.

Directly above her head, the blue Sword of Damocles appeared a cloud of blue, the shining blue light making her appear ethereal. Aneko's hand moved from her saber to her long dagger, and withdrew it from a holster from her right side at Fushimi, authority empowering her next words.

"I am the Fourth Blue King, Munakata Aneko, and I am requesting an audience with the current Blue King of this world. Either take me to them, or I'll go in there myself," threatened Aneko. She knew that blue aura was glowing in her eyes, making them appear violet in the light.

Fushimi considered his options when the arrival of the Blue King himself stopped his musing.

"…Father?" asked Aneko, confusion on her face as she took in the younger face of her dad.

"Captain, you have a kid?" asked Fushimi, while the other Munakata had a bemused expression.

"That damned Strain took me back in time?!" cursed Aneko, and looked up to her Sword of Damocles, letting it disappear from view. She squared her shoulders, sheathing her long daggerin one motion. "My apologies. It would be best if we didn't talk in the public." She glanced to the side, making civilians who were staring look away in a hurry.

"It would be best," agreed Munakata, and the three went into the building, making their way into the Blue King's office. Aneko glanced at the infrastructure, noting the cleanliness and the massive amounts of soldiers they passed, some of which glanced at the three before looking away.


	3. This is a giant kosmic joke, right!

Beginning Note: This chapter is ridiculously long compared to the previous ones, but then again, it was before I decided to upload this story to begin with. Enjoy!

This chapter is ridiculously long compared to the previous ones, but then again, it was before I decided to upload this story to begin with. Enjoy!

* * *

The office Munakata led them both to was distinctly like the room Aneko would wait around in while her father did work when she was a child, albeit the décor was considerably newer in this time. It, like the building, were generally furnished with blue items, although occasionally it would have reds and browns.

Once the door was shut, Munakata prepared to start the awaited conversation after brewing some tea. Aneko took a cup and saucer delicately, remembering the manners her father instilled in her for years.

"This is very interesting," he started, "You called me your father, earlier. Elaborate on that, please." Munakata produced a tablet from his desk, pulling up a recording from the building's front cameras. A light emitted from the tablet, and it projected the video of the woman's Sword of Damocles forming, confirming it as a genuine sword, seeing that the design was improved and different compared to his own.

There were two purple stones accompanying the blue stones nestled in the middle of the grip. The Sword's guard was more shaped like a saber's guard instead of a rapier, the grip significantly thicker, and the blade leading up to the point was slightly broader. Circuits ran along the length of the Sword, a bright blue glow visible even in the daylight.

"I am Munakata Aneko, like I said before," said Aneko, "I became the fifth incarnation of the Fourth Blue King after my predecessor, Munakata Reishi abdicated his throne when I turned twenty one. Where I'm from, it's 2037, and the Blue, Red, and Silver Clan created an alliance to stop the Green Clan from taking control of the Dresden Slate and unsealing it completely."

"A Red and Blue Alliance?" scoffed Fushimi, an old animosity rising in his eyes, "That's rich." Aneko narrowed her eyes, tension entering her. It took nearly everything in her not to bare her teeth at him, a gesture she knew was pervasive in her childhood.

"Why is that so unfeasible, Fushimi-san? Anna-chan isn't exactly a hot-headed individual. I do not know who the Red King here is, but an alliance is by no means impossible," she said icily, a frown marring her features.

Sensing the prickly atmosphere, Munakata interrupted smoothly, "As I am your father, who is your mother?"

Aneko blinked, taken off guard. To her knowledge, her parents were married before her father became the Blue King. "Suoh Mika. Why do you ask? You two were married before you became King."

Munakata froze, the new information catching him off guard. His hands paused as Fushimi made a strangled sound that suspiciously sounded like a cross between a laugh and a cry of outrage.

"…Fascinating," he said, intrigue shining behind violet eyes, "Who was the previous Red King before Kushina-san?" Fushimi had recomposed himself, his hands dipping into his pockets.

"Yata Misaki," answered Aneko calmly, regaining her detached politeness. She raised her cup of tea to her mouth and drank, while Fushimi sputtered once again, making her raise an eyebrow. In fact, she was amused that the sadistic Fushimi was so taken off guard about her time.

"I take it that he isn't the Red King here…which means that this isn't just time travel, its dimension travel as well," mused Aneko after she set the cup in its saucer. Her lips quirked in a smile, one reminiscent of the older Munakata. Her excitement was palpable under red eyes before she gave a straight face.

"If I may, who's the Red King here?" she asked, interested in the answer. This new universe was getting more interesting by the second, and she waited patiently.

"Suoh Mikoto," replied Munakata, and Aneko's eyebrows raised. "This universe is interesting," she said, trying to imagine her mother as a man. The image wasn't quite working, and she had to refocus on the situation on hand.

"You mentioned a Strain outside. Elaborate more on their abilities," said Munakata after a moment, and Aneko obliged.

"The Strain's name is Shiraki Sugita," she withdrew her PDA from a pocket, the thin screen creating a hologram of a man with silver hair and green eyes, "According to my second, his powers revolve around moving through dimensions. He was part of jungle before he was turned into a Strain, and he recently became a J rank, which put him under supervision." She changed the picture to Shiraki in his jungle biker helmet.

"My Clansmen were set to disrupt a gathering of Strains and other jungle members who were planning on fully unsealing the Dresden Slate," she finished, putting her PDA away. Draining her cup of tea, she set it down and let Munakata organize his thoughts.

"This man, how dangerous would you rate him?" asked the older Munakata, steepling his fingers. It seemed he was intrigued about how his alternate universe daughter would proceed, which, Aneko mused to herself, was interested to see her father at a young age.

"As a Strain, he's a Risk 4 Beta. Shiraki-san is one of the highest ranking members, and we all know that J members meet the Green King himself," said Aneko shortly, "His M.O. is dragging Strains from other universes to join jungle and increasing their already high population with powerful Strains. The first Gold King perished years ago, leaving the Dresden Slate unguarded until SCEPTER 4 was granted control of Mihashira Tower. Although Shiraki-san was only turned into a Strain after the Dresden Slate was almost completely unsealed, he is proficient in using his powers." She started to pull a rubix cube out of one of the many pockets on her person but shoved it back in after noticing Fushimi tense.

It wasn't unnoticed by Munakata after his eyes strayed to his subordinate, and he said, "Very well. I'll put all SCEPTER 4 members on high alert to capture him. In the meantime, please explain more about your world and how you came to be."

Aneko took out her PDA again to send the picture of Shiraki to Munakata's so he could post it on SCEPTER 4's alert system. Fushimi left after Munakata gave a gesture, shutting the door with silent fury, leaving the two Kings and Munakatas alone.

"Well, according to mom, she and Kusinagi Izumo shared the right to bar HOMRA, and they formed a gang that went after other gangs with several other people. Yata Misaki became the Red King when he turned sixteen, a year after dragging he and Fushimi-san into joining HOMRA, when he learned the responsibilities of the Seven Kings. After some…disagreements, Fushimi-san joined SCEPTER 4 at my father's behest," said Aneko, fiddling with her PDA to show old pictures her parents shared.

"Mom said that she met dad while in middle school and started dating in the middle of high school. There were a bunch of times they nearly broke up, but they stuck together in the end. They got married in their early twenties, producing me a year later. My childhood was…interesting, considering I was traded between HOMRA and SCEPTER 4 every other week," she opened a picture of her parents holding her as an infant, as well as a small girl easily identified as Kushina Anna with her small top hat and ribbon hiding near the woman's legs.

"Suoh Mika, aged 22, and my dad, aged 22 too," said Aneko, "I was born on July 25th, 2011. Almost all the Red and Blue Clansmen were considered aunts and uncles. Anna-chan was my sister in everything but blood. You could say I bridged the gap between SCEPTER 4 and HOMRA. Not that it stopped them from fighting of course, but members wouldn't suddenly fight if they passed each other on the street." A new picture was shown, this time it was in bar HOMRA with New Year's decorations all over the room.

In the middle was a seven year old Aneko with her parents, hands holding onto the arms of an older Anna. The Blue Clansmen gathered near her father while dressed in casual clothing, while Red Clansmen sided with her mother. Fushimi was glaring at Yata openly across the picture, while the Red King stuck his tongue at his former friend.

"It was a problem when I was younger because I'd cry if they didn't even try to get along. I think mom even threatened to, if I may, 'Straighten the fuck out or I'm going to beat all your asses.' That resulted in…remodeling of the bar," she said reluctantly. "Family wise, my cousins are worryingly normal, and they continued the family business after oji-san and baa-chan retired."

A new picture was projected, this time of Aneko in SCEPTER 4's dress uniform, along with her parents. Munakata was smiling slightly as he stood with his own uniform, Suoh looking tired beside him, frowning slightly. Both parents looked older, with more pronounced wrinkles.

"After graduating high school, I joined SCEPTER 4. Dad was thrilled, as far as he gets happy, but mom…well, she didn't really like the idea. Afterall, it could get dangerous, but she relented after teaching me how to brawl. There was a lot of pain involved," Aneko said the last part quickly.

"At what age did you become King?" asked Munakata, breaking Aneko off from her developing rant. He had abandoned the tablet for a puzzle, steadily pressing in pieces as the woman regaled her story.

"I was twenty one. I've been King for five years now," she said, "It was a surprise to Dad, but Mom always said I was like you. I'm the only King that was related to a previous King, let alone the same Sanctum." Aneko showed her official ID of when she had been officially Captain of SCEPTER 4, rotating the image, "Dad was very firm with ensuring I understood the full ramifications of being a King while going through physical training."

Aneko shuttered, thinking about her mother's reaction of her being slated as the next Blue King. It wasn't unnoticed by Munakata, especially when she grinned sheepishly. "Mom nearly leveled Dad's office when she got the news. She's a scary woman. Hell hath no fury like Suoh Mika mad," she coughed into a raised fist.

A beat passed, and she pulled out her rubix cube, scrambling and solving it repeatedly without looking. "I'm going to be completely honest with you," said Aneko, "My life has become really weird in the last decade. I'm not quite sure it happened here yet, but a whole slew of death will happen soon. Anna-chan foresaw that I will get stuck in another time and place, and it will spell disaster."

A sudden thought came to Aneko, and she asked, "Um…what year is it? I'm sorry, it slipped my mind."

"Today is December 7th, 2012," said Munakata, and Aneko's eyes widened at the new information, calculating her father's birthday. A pause, and Aneko nearly burst out laughing, tamping the urge down, although it pained her to do so, instead in a deadpan tone said, "Oh Kami, I'm older than you."

It felt like a giant cosmic joke, and it really took all of her discipline to not lord it over her alternate universe father. She couldn't help but smile after a moment, blue glittering in red eyes. A laugh nearly bubbled out of her throat, but she quashed it quickly, only letting it come out for a second.

Mortified, red spread to her cheeks, and she apologized, "Sorry, sorry, it's just odd. It's like…like looking at old photographs of people you know and comparing it to who they are now. Especially if it's your parents. Especially because I saw my dad just before the mission, and you're a completely different man compared to the one I know."

Munakata had finished his puzzle by now, and he looked directly at Aneko, searching for the features that she had from him and Suoh. The red of her eyes were reminiscent of Suoh's amber eyes filled with red aura, but her eyes had a playfulness that the man lacked. The woman's hair had his dark blue, but it could also be seen as a very dark violet. She didn't share his need for glasses, taking more from her mother than just the color of her eyes, but she didn't have the creases Suoh had around his eyes.

Thinking back on the picture of Suoh Mika, the woman shared her mother's iris shape and eyebrows. It was clear that Aneko had Munakata's jawline, albeit softer. Posture wise, Aneko shared how Mikoto would occasionally slump while in thought but would straighten when an idea formed. Seeing her smile was akin to looking in a mirror, and the way her eyes tightened when she did was like his.

He then studied the other Blue King's outfit more critically. She wore the Captain's variation of the SCEPTER 4 uniform, which fit slightly looser to allow free movement. Her dark blue trench coat reached her knees, and had a high collar, gold stitching crisscrossing her lower back. A white dress shirt peaked out of her half buttoned coat, and a black sword belt was worn around her waist. For her pants, she wore slacks held up with a belt with a silver buckle, which was attached with her sword belt, accompanied with black combat boots that reached to her mid calf with silver laces.

"How does this development affect how you perform in this world?" he asked finally, filing his observations away to see how she'd respond. The woman's fingers paused on her rubix cube, stowing it away.

Aneko was silent for a moment, but she answered with conviction, "I don't care if this is a completely different world compared to mine. I swore to uphold peace, and it doesn't matter where I am. I am a King, and a King never abandons those they swore to protect. As long I breathe, I will protect the people of the land I am treading on." She clenched a hand, blue aura rising unbidden, determination setting in her jaw. Looking up, she blinked when she noticed a smile on Munakata's face.

"Don't look at me like that Da-I mean, Munakata-san," she said moodily, nonplused at her not-father's smile, "I know what you're thinking. SCEPTER 4 doesn't need two Kings right now. Honestly, I'm surprised that my Sanctum even activated."

"We've found that the Dresden Slate has a sort of sentience," offered Munakata as an explanation, "It must've picked up your King status and allowed you to access to its power."

"Yeah, probably," shrugged Aneko in a relaxed motion, "If that's the case, I'm going to lay low for now, maybe get out of these clothes and get a drink." She picked at her collar, the small metal disk that was her tracker popping off and pressing it, a thin beam of light emitting from the object.

"I don't suppose my tracker still works, does it? Can I get one?" she said, flipping it between her fingers. "Wouldn't want to lose me in this lovely city, right? Maybe I'll get Anna-chan a gift. It's her birthday tomorrow, right?"

"Correct. She's turning 11," confirmed Munakata, and he opened a drawer, a small tracking device pinched between two fingers. "Place that in your PDA," he instructed, and set it on the table. Aneko plucked it from the wood surface, studying the outdated piece of technology, opening a compartment in her PDA and letting it stick. The tracker pulled from her shirt collar was slid into a small zippered pocket in her dress pants.

"Munakata-san…" she started, looking over to the man who wasn't her father, "You're a good man. No matter what you have to do. That Sword above our heads aren't the only thing that can kill us. It's the choices that we make that do us in."

Standing up, Aneko gave the younger man a smile, "Take it from your daughter from another time and place. There's going to be a lot of triumphs and regrets in your life. Don't be consumed." She dropped her PDA into her pants pocket and pulled off her coat, folding it neatly, her white dress shirt the only thing shielding her from the cold. Her hands stopped at the saber attached to her side, unsure of what to do with the weapon

"Can I…" she started slowly, turning to the other King, "Munakata-san. I wish to leave my saber in your care. I do not wish to carry a weapon so blatantly in the city. Please don't let any harm come to it. My father gifted it to me himself."

"I am surprised you are entrusting this to me if it means much to you," said Munakata, and Aneko shook her head.

"You may not be my father, but you do share his face. I am deciding to trust you, but do not think you have my only way of offense," said Aneko confidently, and she placed the saber delicately onto Munakata's desk. "I have more secrets than you know, but it isn't kept out of maleficence, but out of necessity," she stepped back, seriousness steady in her red eyes.

"I'm going out to see the city. I want to see the differences between your world and my time," Aneko told Munakata, "I don't expect to be back till very late. There is something I must do tonight, my universe or not."

"It's rather chilly today," said Munakata, "Do you require a different coat?" Aneko shrugged, tucking her coat under her arm, "I don't think so. The cold never bothered me anyway." She languidly made her way to the door, turning back to address the man again before leaving.

"I'll see you around, Munakata-san~!" she said in a singsong, the seriousness she originally shown fully gone. "It's been a long time since I was able to get any vacation time, what with the Green Clan stirring up trouble lately. Being serious all the time is so tiring, I have no idea how Dad dealt with being a King for nearly a quarter of his life and be a loving father at the same time. One of life's mysteries, I suppose."

"Where are you heading off to?" asked Munakata, and the fifth incarnation of the Fourth King smiled at this world's King, "Like I said, I'm off to get a drink, I think I owe myself one for the last five years. Call me if you need me." She pulled out her PDA again, waving it, "I'll text you. Dad hasn't changed his phone number in decades, but I'll test it out."

She sent a text, and the PDA in Munakata's pocket pinged. "Right. Bye!" Aneko quickly walked out of Reishi's office and out of Tsubaki-mon, passing Blues on the way.


	4. Times of Khange

The winter winds were cold, but Aneko explored the city, going wherever her feet took her. There was little doubt that her card wouldn't work, but luckily, she still had SCEPTER 4's account card, which she used on an ATM for her own use.

The second mode of action was buying a drawstring bag to carry her SCEPTER 4 uniform with her newly acquired funds. Another purchase was a blue colored fleece lined windbreaker to cover up her thin dress shirt, and she eventually realized that she had made it to bar HOMRA. She studied the side of the building, memorizing the awning and the placement of every brick. The sky had grown dark, the journey around the city wasting several hours.

Aneko ran her hands through her hair, messing her hair and releasing her gelled back bangs. She mentally prepared herself and walked in, going directly to the counter. The woman glanced around the pub, making sure her eyes flitted quickly to avoid any suspicion of her studying the décor. She acted more tired than she was, doing a half-wave at Kusinagi, and he asked, "What can I get you?" in a friendly tone.

Aneko's mouth twitched into a smile, "Tequila sunrise. Easy on the ice." She closed her eyes as Kusinagi went to make her request, humming a tune her mother was fond of.

The woman waited until she heard the sound of glass against wood, letting her eyes open lazily. Honestly, it felt like if she wasn't a King, she'd be dead asleep by then with all the overtime the Green clan was racking up for her.

She kinda missed her dorm in Tsubaki-mon, the comfortable bed her mom forced her to buy instead of the crap that came with it. "Thanks," she said, taking the small straw that came with the glass to stir the contents a little, and started to drink in a slow pace.

"Bad day?" asked Kusinagi sympathetically, and Aneko groaned, deciding to delve into her failed attempt to get Anna a present, careful to reveal no names, and that her 'niece's' birthday was soon.

She didn't even flinch when Yata Misaki came into the bar, arguing with Kamamoto about something loudly. Aneko asked for a shot of bourbon, tossing it back and grimacing, pulling out some bills to cover the cost.

"Keep the change," she said amiably, and started to drag herself out of HOMRA, only to pause when she saw movement out of the corner of her eyes. Her attention was ensnared by the sight of a man with wild red hair slinking down stairs. A small girl followed the man down, and the man started talking with the bartender in a low tone.

Aneko's feet were rooted to the floor, unprepared to see a young Kushina Anna in the flesh. She could feel her Blue Aura start to react to the presence of the Red King. It took a lot of effort to not instinctively call upon her power, but she made it out the door with force of will, but not before seeing Anna's eyes meet hers.

The Blue King breathed in the cold December air, wishing to clear her head. She decided to visit the last place her Uncle Tatara had been alive and started to run.

* * *

It was nearing the time her uncle had been killed by the Colorless King in a bid to rile up the Blue and Red Clans that had nearly succeeded in tragedy. Her father was the one to slew him, as only a King can kill a King.

It led to his guilt of needing to kill the Silver King as well, affecting his Sword of Damocles heavily, the lustrous blue of his Sword fading as he was burdened with a depression that not even Mika could uplift. Reishi gave up his King status, and it was already shown that Aneko had the highest aptitude to be the next Blue King, and the Dresden Slate was clear that it wanted the next Munakata to become the new King, even sending a message to the Usagi that watched over it.

Aneko made her way to Hirasaka building to celebrate the anniversary of Totsuka's death, which coincidentally was today. The winds started to get stronger, and to ward it off, the woman pulled up her hood, securing it so her hair wouldn't fly into her eyes.

She made her way up the building's roof and had already reached the top of the stairs when she heard a familiar voice talking, and it reminded her of the video before her world's Totsuka's death. Breath hitching, she activated her Sanctum, forcing restrictions on her power to keep it lower than the threshold for her Sword to materialize.

A final step of the stairs, and she burst out, panic in her blood. "Get away from him!" she said in a choked whisper, the power of the blue aura whipping around her, throwing the gun out of who she knew was the Colorless King's hand. He had fired a shot, but the blue aura Aneko exuded created a shield that disintegrated the bullet. With a step onto the rooftop, blue aura froze the floor, ice forming and sticking the feet of the Colorless King to the concrete.

"I know how to fight with my eyes closed," Aneko stated quietly, closing her eyes, and unsheathed her long dagger in a fluid motion, "I'm not going to let you hurt him." She could hear the King's heartbeat and his panicked breaths, and she lunged with her blade, listening to the sound of metal piercing through cloth and flesh, the smell of copper filling the air.

"You can't kill me!" the Colorless King shrieked, "I'm the Colorless King!" A crunching of ice could be heard, the man struggling to wrench his feet out of the block.

"A King with no subjects then. That's bullshit. You aren't _my_ King," Aneko snarled, and forced her aura to push the man off the safety railing. The man screamed before getting cut off, and Aneko opened her eyes, running at the railing to see if the King had landed. Her custom shoes gripped the ice securely as she went over, not slipping in her haste.

"And he's off," she sighed, seeing no sign of the Colorless King. The woman sheathed her dagger, and she turned to see Totsuka staring at her from the ground. It appeared that the cold rage of blue aura had knocked him to the floor, his camera lying on the ground, pointed at the railing the King was pushed off. Aneko offered him a weak smile, "Nice night out?"

"You…you saved me," said Totsuka slowly, still in shock, not comprehending what had happened. It looked like some ice had crowded around one of his feet, rendering his leg immobile.

"Yeah. I did. Are you alright?" asked Aneko, the smile turning into a stronger grin, "I can tell you're important to someone. What's your name?"

"Tatara. Totsuka Tatara. Yours?" he asked, and Aneko's grin turning sad. "I can't tell you," she told him mournfully, and she glanced at the camera laying on the ground, "See you around Totsuka-san."

An afterthought occurred to her as she made her way towards the stairs, not listening to Totsuka object. "Wait!" he called out, but Aneko was already on her way down, an echo of "Call your friends at HOMRA, they'll get you out!" being left behind.


	5. Konversations

The fifth incarnation of the Blue King sprinted out of the stairs, unwilling to look back. When she was far enough, she crouched, leaning against a wall as tears started streaking down her face as she hugged her knees.

"Oh Kami," she whispered, "I was so scared." She wiped at the tears, recomposing herself, and she stood up, straightening her sweater. She put her SCEPTER 4 coat back on, the protection of the windbreaker swapped for the heavier clothing.

"Need to get back to SCEPTER 4," she mumbled, and took the train to Tsubaki-mon as fast as she could. When she arrived, she climbed the stairs in a fast pace, not realizing that color had drained from her face.

Aneko knocked on Munakata's office door, where the man was undoubtedly still working. As she heard Munakata let her in, she staggered into the room, her paleness contrasting with tanned skin.

"Munakata, reporting," she said before dropping heavily in an armchair that she distinctly remembered sitting on when she was younger. "I have a recent development, Munakata-san," she told the other Blue King, and the shock of saving Totsuka's life crashed down on her, making her tear up again.

"Aneko-san? What is wrong? You've been gone for hours," Munakata asked, the appearance of the woman haggard compared to how she was composed when they first met. Aneko looked dreadful, her hair in disarray and hanging in front of her face as tears made their way down. The zipper of her sweater was pulled down as her blue coat was hanging open. Her face was ashen, and it contrasted heavily with her tan skin, causing her to look like she aged since leaving.

"I…I think I'm definitely not okay, Munakata-san," she said listlessly, "I stopped a murder half an hour ago, and I am scared."

"A murder?" asked Munakata, and his attention was fully focused on the woman across from him, "Of who?"

"I saved Totsuka Tatara's life from the Colorless King," Aneko shakily revealed, "And I think I've skewed and changed the event that was supposed to happen. My presence here has already shifted your world's history."

"The Colorless King? Ichigen Miwa?" asked Munakata, but Aneko shook her head. Her hands wandered into her pockets, and found the rubix cube hidden within, and she took it out, scrambling it over and over to let the rhythmic clacking calm her frayed nerves.

"We don't know his name. Ichigen Miwa died months ago under unknown causes," she said, and already the shock was starting to wear off, color returning to her cheeks, "The Colorless King that comes after Ichigen-sama has the power to take over people's bodies through eye contact. They are very dangerous, and it heralded chaos."

Aneko stood up, and a panic shone underneath worried red. "I've already done too much. I cannot interfere with what happens next," she said gravely, shaking her head.

"I see," Munakata said, but Aneko really doubted he did, "Is there anything you can divulge without risking the destabilization of time?"

"The Colorless King does not know his own name," Aneko started, "The Silver King, Adolf K. Weismann believed it was because the Colorless King had taken over so many bodies that he forgot his name through nonstop assimilation of different bodies." She tossed the rubix cube in the air, the toy completed once more.

"After that battle was all said and done, my father abdicated his throne because the grief was too great," she said sadly, "The Colorless King is the first person who fell on his blade. The act threw him into a depression even my mother couldn't shake him from. He was the one to do it because it would've shattered Anna-chan if she killed him."

Aneko started pacing, relaying the lesser parts of the Colorless King's deaths, "I'm sorry I can't tell you more. I believe I know what will happen, and I want to lessen the possible number of casualties."

"Are you running away?" asked Munakata, serious as ever. He leaned forward as Aneko's head turned abruptly, stopping her pacing.

"Are you insinuating I am a coward?" she growled, red eyes hardening, "I am not a coward. I don't run from my problems, I run to them. If I alter your history too far, it will destroy your reality. Upholding order is more than just protecting innocents, its making sure events happen as they should, or chaos will reign."

Aneko brushed away her tears and straightened her attire, masking her feelings of panic and rage with a diplomatic smile that she practiced in front of her father.

"I am going to be perfectly honest, Munakata-san," she said smoothly, "I do not care if I sound like an unattended child in this brave world of yours, but I care deeply about my job. I started at SCEPTER 4 not because I seek my father's approval, but because I had felt trapped as a civilian. I felt that I could do more with my life than just be a pretty face in the company of men. I abhor people who chose to be just bystanders. Do not think for a moment, that I am one of them."

Blue aura had manifested around Aneko, leaving ice crusting the bottoms of her shoes. Her red eyes turned violet with her Sanctum, sharpening with seriousness. She looked every bit a King, her posture straightening as the blue of her hair was pronounced by her aura. The influences that Aneko had inherited from Suoh vanished, leaving her stern and unrelenting. Qualities that Munakata himself exuded were obvious, and it left no doubts that she was his child.

Aneko breathed in after her rant, closing her eyes, and let it out, the blue aura leaving her immediately. "I'm sorry. I find being implied to be a coward as distasteful and defaming," she said tersely, her wounded pride hiding itself. The woman sighed, and awaited Munakata's judgement.

To her surprise, he didn't appear to take offense to her posturing. On the contrary, he looked more interested than ever. "Very well," he said definitively, "If you are so certain that you directly interfering with future events will cause certain disaster, I will not press it upon you. However, if there is a matter that must be addressed, and you do not attempt to rectify it, I will have you imprisoned until Shiraki Sugita is found and you are returned to your rightful universe."

Aneko bowed deeply, tension replaced with relief. "Yes sir," she said softly, and her eyes wandered to where her saber was propped up along a wall. She walked to it, picking the weapon up, before replacing it, shaking her head.

"How will you explain my presence here, Munakata-san?" Aneko asked, "I can't just pop up out of nowhere." She walked back to the front of the desk, crossing her arms as she went.

Munakata thought for a minute, debating on how to insert the stray Munakata into SCEPTER 4. Explaining a Munakata wouldn't be too difficult, since little was known about his family. The only issue was having a relative suddenly appear in the building with little explanation would raise too many questions. It would be better if there was a logical reason for Aneko-san's presence, and an idea started forming in his head.

"Will you be willing to pose as a relative?" he asked the woman, and she looked taken aback. "A relative?" she repeated blankly, but she was able to connect Munakata's thought process. "That would explain the name, at least," she agreed, "A cousin or sister?"

Munakata leaned back in his chair, "Cousin would be more feasible. If anyone was curious enough, they would find out I do not have sister. The question is, why would you be here?"

"You can say I'm shadowing you, or something," Aneko guessed, sitting down in an armchair. She raised a hand to her chin, letting her head rest on her other elbow. "Maybe…what if I pose as an older cousin who's curious about your workplace? Or if I decide to hypothetically join SCEPTER 4?"

"That could work," Munakata approved, bringing up a holographic screen and typing on a keyboard emitting from his desk, "I would advise only showing yourself after my squad checks the SCEPTER 4 message board. This would ensure they have enough time to expect you."

Aneko sighed before a yawn bubbled up, the late hour taking a toll on her mind. "I'll have to wake up early to leave the building and return slightly later. Maybe mid-morning?"

"That will do," agreed Munakata, entering the alibi into the system as he spoke.

As Aneko stood up to leave, he told her, "You are welcome to reside in an empty dorm for the duration of your presence in this universe." Munakata reached into a drawer in his desk and pulled out a key with a tag attached, sliding it across the wood surface. "There are currently three dorms vacant."

"Thanks," said Aneko, reaching across to accept it, suddenly changing the topic, "In the future…in my world, I had to change the dress code. I was appalled of how impractical Aunt Seri's uniform was, if it could be called a uniform. Mom would've killed dad if I had to wear the same thing. Aunt Seri's the vice-captain, not a hooker."

The woman spoke as if she was contemplating the weather, not criticizing an awful excuse for dress. She smiled reassuringly, conscious of not giving a shark's grin as she excused herself, leaving Munakata to his duties.

Aneko found the room easily, having memorized Tsubaki-mon, not encountering any of the Blue Clansmen, seeing it was so late. She rummaged through the room, finding a man's uniform in the closet. Unfortunately, she couldn't find pajamas, but she did find a bathrobe in the bathroom, and she took a shower.

She removed her dress shirt, revealing a dozen daggers hidden underneath. The harness was made by Uncle Fushimi after she was taught how to utilize bladed projectiles, and she kept it as back up if her saber and dagger were unreachable. It saved her life many times when the Green clansmen nearly overpowered her men, or when the Grey King interfered with SCEPTER 4's operations with jungle.

It took an hour to get fully settled in, locking the door, and she welcomed sleep immediately.


	6. Kheck

The blare of Aneko's PDA woke the woman up at 6:00, and she stretched, taking care of the kinks in her bones. She wore men's boxers underneath her blue slacks, and she found a new white shirt in a clothes drawer, putting it on. The shirt was luckily a size too large, and it was baggy enough to cover her dagger's harness.

The woman stepped out of the room, her concealed weapons safely tucked under clothing. She had pressed her uniform coat with an iron she found in the dorm and had spent time to make her coat look pristine as ever after it had been carried in a bag. Before she left the dorm, she left her windbreaker in the dresser, and put the drawstring bag underneath her blue coat. Aneko quickly made her way out of Tsubaki-mon, stealing out of the building through little-used corridors.

The next few hours were filled with Aneko buying breakfast in a McDonald's, walking around and visiting a library to check up on the history in this world. She was absorbed in reading about what the public knew about the Clans, and how they treated HOMRA as a common occurrence and viewed them as enforcers that stopped more dangerous gangs and uphold the peace on their turf.

* * *

It was nearly eleven when she decided to return to SCEPTER 4 HQ. Aneko decided to stop at a Matsuya, buying a burger to eat as a light brunch.

When she walked freely through Tsubaki-mon, she could hear whispers from Blue Clansmen who had seen her yesterday with the Blue King, and she paid it no mind, striding in the halls like she owned it.

The moment she reached the Common kitchen area, she started making some tea with an open package of loose leaves from the cupboard. When she was done, she pulled out a seat quickly, placing her food onto the table. "Itadakimasu~!" she proclaimed before eating.

Aneko ate until one of the Blue Clansmen of Squad 1 dropped in beside her. She recognized him as a younger version of Hidaka Akira, and she turned to greet him.

"Good morning!" she said cheerfully, waving with one hand in hand. She blinked as Hidaka scrutinized her, and she made a 'huh?' noise.

"I haven't seen you here before," Hidaka said first in a flirty tone, "Come here often?" Aneko was nonplussed, restraining herself from punching him.

"No, actually," she told him, "I'm supposed to be shadowing Reishi-kun today." She grinned when Hidaka was taken aback, clearly not expecting that answer. "Reishi-kun?" he questioned, and Aneko offered him the alibi like a piece of meat.

"I'm Munakata Aneko, Reishi-kun's older cousin," she said, "He didn't tell you about me?" She blinked at the man, tilting her head _just so_. It was the perfect veneer of innocence that she practiced getting out of trouble with teachers.

"Uh, you're the cousin that's shadowing Captain, right?" Hidaka asked, "It didn't say you were beautiful. I'm Hidaka Akira, one of the members of Squad 1." He smiled in a way that he deemed charming, and Aneko laughed a little, her voice lightening with humor.

"That's very kind of you," she told the swordsman with a genuine smile, "I'm supposed to meet him soon if you don't mind…" Aneko gestured to her half-eaten hamburger, and Hidaka went to eat his own lunch, tapping on his PDA about the new addition to SCEPTER 4.

Aneko finished up quickly, throwing her garbage and cleaning whatever she used and putting it back. As she left, Fushimi had appeared in the doorway, startling her when she opened the door. "Captain's expecting you," he told her, and with a muttered apology for bumping into him, the woman moved aside, leaving quickly.

Turbulent thoughts echoed in her head as she walked, reminding her of what happened in her own world when Tatara had been killed. Her mother had been furious, convincing Anna that something had to be done with his killer.

Both HOMRA and SCEPTER 4 were running around on a wild goose chase to find the Colorless King, both Mika and Reishi fighting on how to lure him out. Anna, the pacifist she was, had objections on how to deal with the rouge King, but after exhausting her Strain powers, had collapsed, sleeping restlessly.

Ashinaka Island was the war ground between the two Clans, and Aneko had to fight against HOMRA, even though it tore at her heart. She was among the first to listen to the Black Dog, Yatogami Kuroh when he demanded both clans to stand down and help the innocent students off the island.

Aneko arrived at Munakata's office without incident, knocking on the door, and allowing herself in. She was met with the face of Awashima Seri, who turned as the door opened. The older woman strode in, an easy grin on her face, and Aneko made a beeline towards Awashima.

"Hi! You must be Awashima Seri, Reishi-kun told me a lot about you!" she held a hand out, expecting the other woman to take it. Instead, Awashima looked caught off guard with the cheerfulness exuding from the newcomer.

"Uh, hello," Awashima greeted Aneko, once she got over her shock, "Yes, I'm Awashima Seri, lieutenant of SCEPTER 4. It's a pleasure to meet you." She took the outreached hand, shaking it slightly, and Aneko retracted her hand, leaning back on her heels. She looked over to Munakata, who had a slight smile on his face.

"This is Munakata Aneko, my cousin," he introduced them, standing up, "She will be lodging here for the next week."

"I love the blue motif, by the way," Aneko told the two conversationally, "Do I get a sword too, Reishi-kun~?" she gestured at Awashima's saber, lips quirking into a smile.

"If you are compatible with the blue aura, then you will be able to proceed in joining SCEPTER 4," the Captain informed his 'cousin', "As protocol, new Clansmen are knighted in front of the rest of Squad 1. Though in your case, you are not beholden to SCEPTER 4, which changes procedure." He walked forward, stopping when he stood in front of Aneko, looking down at the shorter woman. "However, I can instate you as a temporary Clansman until further notice."

"You can do that?" asked Aneko, remembering that Weismann had the ability to make Aunt Seri a temporary Silver clansman, "Lay it on me then. I'll do as you say, Reishi-kun." The woman took a step back, bowing with an exaggerated hand gesture, catching Awashima's eye and winking at her. "Your wish is my command, Captain. Please take care of me."

A glimmer brightened in red eyes as Munakata offered a hand, and she took it, feeling the man's blue aura freezing its way into her body, joining the aura her father had bestowed on her, later the aura of the Blue King. While maintaining a calm expression, she forced the full brunt of her aura down, but it didn't deter the new aura from flaring and flickering. The room filled with a blue glow, settling almost instantly soon after the initial contact.

Aneko grinned, feeling her not-father's aura mingling with her own. "Wow," she marveled, feeling the comfort of the aura, "I think it likes me!"

Before anything else could be said, alarms blared through the building, both Munakata and Awashima catching each other's gaze. Munakata expressed regret, saying, "My apologies, Aneko-chan, but the Red Clan is on the move. Find Fushimi-san and stay safe."

"You're in luck, I've already brought my own weapons," grinned Aneko, launching a knife into her hand with a flick of the wrist. Her grin turned into a smirk as she expressed a bloodthirsty personality. It faded quickly, and to an unobservant person, they would question if it existed at all.

The 'temporary' Clansman left the office with a lazy salute, allowing another flick of the wrist to hide the knife. She started following the other Blue Clansmen through the halls, finding and following Fushimi quickly to a van filled with equipment meant to observe one's Weismann's levels.

"Heya Fushimi-san~," she sang quietly, once the van was being driven by another Clansman. The young man grunted at her, displeased at her presence, a sour look on his face. Aneko started twirling a knife in her hands, throwing and catching it as they were driven.

They arrived soon after, Fushimi watching the monitors, and the other Clansmen moving out to accompany Munakata into the hotel. Red aura bloomed, bursting out of the doors and startling Clansmen who stood outside.

"Any minute now…we'll see his Sword of Damocles," commented Fushimi, watching as red aura gathered in the air above the building. The Clansmen inside the van were studying the equipment that filled most of the van, screens with wavering lines and curves on graphs. Meanwhile, Aneko sheathed her knife, leaning back in her seat, closing her eyes as she started waiting.

Once the Red Sword of Damocles could be seen hovering over the hotel, she opened her eyes, looking at the Sword through Fushimi's monitor. "Wow, that's pretty impressive," she commented with intrigue. Through her somewhat limited view, she could see that the Sword was starting to disintegrate. Large chunks were floating around it, or they were gone altogether.

When Yata was the Red King, his Sword always appeared to be sharp like his tongue. It was a stark contrast to the King here, and Yata's Sword had never lost its luster until Fushimi's Accident happened.

Aneko slinked out of the police van, wary about Fushimi watching her leave, yet he was unable to because of his job of surveying Suoh's Weismann Level. She looked up at the Sword directly, smiling up at the large object.

"So this is the power of the Red Aura," she muttered reverently, drinking in the sight of the weapon capable of creating the Kagutsu Crater. Soon, the Blue Sword of Damocles appeared, a shining blue that Aneko recognized from her father. "Suoh Mikoto…he is a lion in human skin."

The flare of blue and red could be seen through the glass walls of the hotel, the aura suddenly disappearing. Aneko made her way back into the van, deciding to 'rest her eyes' if nothing interesting was happening.

Sitting back in her spot, she started humming an old tune that Anna would sing to herself when she babysat the younger girl. It lulled her to a steady beat, her tense body relaxing, sure that none of the other SCEPTER 4 clansmen would stab her with her eyes closed.

The sour mood of Fushimi could be felt in the enclosed space, but she figured it was just his hatred of HOMRA, and by extension, Yata Misaki that made him such a Debbie Downer. She never did understand Fushimi, but it was mostly because of his past. Their childhood experiences were too different to be compared.

The motion of the police van made her wake up, tears in red eyes, blinking them away. Aneko had leaned to the side, nearly falling off her chair, and she righted herself immediately, noticing the other Clansmen glancing at her. She shook the grogginess off, flashing a quick smile that her Uncle Fushimi had shown her a handful of times, making it disappear in record time.

The return to HQ wasn't a long ride, and it was buzzing around in SCEPTER 4 that Suoh had given himself up and was to be imprisoned in Tsubaki-mon's jailhouse unless he gave up his King status. Squad 1 was reentering the building, and both Fushimi and Aneko were mingled into the crowd.

Mentally, Aneko scoffed; if Suoh Mikoto was anything like Munakata Mika, he'd be stubborn until the end. After all, her father could barely budge her mother if she already decided. From a glance at Fushimi, he doubted it too.

"Fushimi-san, can we talk?" she asked the man, and he frowned at her, displeasure at his core. "I'm busy," he told her snidely, brushing the King off.

"Don't worry about him," Hidaka reassured her, walking quickly to her side, "He's like that with everyone." The man had a sudden idea, perking up, and he held a hand out to Aneko. "I have an idea! I'll introduce you to the guys if we have time off."

Aneko smiled brightly at him, nodding her head, "I'll hold you to it, Hidaka-san." She winked at him, remembering the Hidaka of her time was enamored with girls until he married. "Does your building have a library of sorts? Reishi-kun hinted at one, but since he's so busy, he can't really show me around."

"Uh, yeah, there's a room we keep books," Hidaka answered, "It's not that far, do you mind if I lead you there? It's mostly for recreation, but it has all sorts of things. Mostly video games, whenever it gets dull here."

"If you want to, sure," Aneko shrugged. It wasn't like Munakata told her she had specific things to do while 'shadowing' SCEPTER 4. The two walked, going upstairs and towards the dorms. "Here we are," Hidaka told her, opening the door.

Inside was akin to a game room, with sofas, video game consoles, a large TV, and other things. The walls were painted a tasteful beige, with a white ceiling. Three tall bookshelves were spotted along the far left corner of the room, a reading space complete with more chairs and two coffee tables that were pushed together in the center.

Aneko could spy a cleaning robot charging in another corner, and she turned as Hidaka said, "You can stay here until dinner or something. Have fun, I need to fill out some forms from the dispatch." The woman bade him farewell, and he went off, whistling cheerfully.


	7. Kanteen Konvos

Hey, congrats. This fic is also on AO3, my username is the same. Usually I update on Fridays, but it looks like i'm in a good mood! Enjoy!

* * *

Aneko decided to put the TV on, flipping through channels quickly, settling on a 24/7 news channel. As she mindlessly listened to the news, she pulled out her PDA, retrieving the file on Shiraki that she saved in case her PDA was unable to connect to SCEPTER 4's server.

The notes Sato had written were very precise in logging the tracking of the Strain. It appeared that when he disappeared, he was unable to be found for two weeks, before suddenly appearing with an alternate universe Strain in tow. After coming back, he'd disappear within a week, sending Sato and her Third, Maeda Katsumi reeling, buzzing to catalog the new Strain that appeared alongside Shiraki. Though it appeared that Shiraki couldn't control exactly where he returned, it was always somewhere in Tokyo.

Her thoughts were broken when the TV's screen flickered, hearing something that was definitely not the afternoon news. She sat up, PDA forgotten beside her. The video that replaced the news was eerily familiar.

Really familiar, because it was exactly identical to the video her Uncle Tatara had taken before he died. She watched with trepidation, frozen as the Colorless King turned around, holding out a gun when blue aura suddenly threw the camera out of Totsuka's hands. The camera skidded, the sound of the metal frame bouncing on ice loudly, the lens facing the railing overlooking the edge of the roof.

Aneko could hear herself speak, muffled from having her hood up, as well as the wind blowing into the camera's microphone muting what she said next. The sound of the man proclaiming himself as the Colorless King could be heard clearly, the shriek echoing his surprise. Aneko's snarled response could be barely heard, and then with a flash of blue, the Colorless King toppled off the roof, her form running to the railing.

Aneko scrambled to turn the TV off when she recovered from her initial shock, unwilling to watch it any longer. It wouldn't be long for HOMRA to find out her true identity, even with Totsuka's trauma blurring some of his memory, as well as the speed which Aneko had fled once she realized her actions.

There was no doubt that she would definitely have to tread carefully before revealing herself, or it would increase the likelihood of her death before she could get home.

* * *

Aneko started to doze off, adjusting her position across the couch so her daggers didn't poke into her sides uncomfortably. Memories flitted across her semi-conscious state, specifically the Crowning of the Red King Kushina Anna, Aneko's older adopted sibling. At the age of 18, Anna graduated high school early, deciding to put her time into university.

Although Munakata Mika was no King, she often led HOMRA against the normal, lesser gangs, oftentimes having Anna babysit Aneko when a fight got really bad and sent Mika to the hospital. Occasionally, Aneko would stay with her Uncle Izumo and Aunt Seri at bar HOMRA if Anna was too busy with school and both her parents were unavailable.

She always admired her mother, remembering the pride in her voice when Aneko got into a fight with a bully in elementary school, the small girl victorious against her enemy. The two got ice cream after that, to the amusement of her dad. Even though he was supposed to be mad, Aneko had written an extensive list of reasons why the fight started in the first place. The last one was "Because Taijima is a silly McPoopFace that thought he was smarter than my new friend that's why."

Hours passed, Aneko fully settling into sleep after the first. She was suddenly woken up by the door of the room opening, the loud voices of Hidaka and Dōmyōji Andy, accompanied by the lower voice of Kamo Ryūhō filling the silence of the room.

Quickly waking up, Aneko had flicked a wrist, producing a knife, and the weapon was already airborne and coated with aura before she realized she wasn't being attacked. The knife sunk into the upper half of the door, splinters of wood chipping as metal was wedged into the door deeply. A remaining flicker of blue aura faded, before leaving the knife.

"Ah…oops?" the woman said dumbfoundedly, suddenly sheepish. She moved off the couch, embarrassment visible as a blush crept down her neck. Aneko turned to the newcomers, pausing after seeing the three men staring at her with shock. The blush got deeper as she realized she attempted to pierce one of the SCEPTER 4's Squad 1's members on accident.

"I'm so sorry!" Aneko apologized loudly, bowing quickly to show her regrets. "I didn't mean to try and kill you, it just happened!" She straightened, her mortification deepening when they didn't say anything.

"That was scary but cool," Dōmyōji said first after the shock had worn off, "Er, I thought you were Fushimi-san at first."

"Who are you?" asked Kamo, "I saw you with the Captain yesterday." He appeared to be on guard but relaxed slowly when he realized Aneko didn't show any aggression.

"I'm Munakata Aneko," she introduced herself, "Temporary Blue Clansman. And you?"

"Kamo Ryūhō," said the man, before being cut off by Dōmyōji, who yelled, "I'm Dōmyōji Andy! That was cool! I thought you were Fushimi-san too, he's the only one who also uses knives!" His demeanor brightened, and he smiled at the woman.

"How am I going to get it down?" Aneko asked, peering at her wayward knife high above her head. Inwardly she cursed her short stature and the taller door.

"Ah, we'll just find a ladder to get it down," Hidaka said nonchalantly, waving a hand. He didn't look too worried, knowing that occasionally Fushimi would throw his own knives around if he was in a bad mood.

"Still, I'm so sorry for throwing pointy things at your heads," apologized Aneko again, and it looked like her blush faded away. "I was sleeping after I saw that broadcast, and I had a dream that I was being attacked by a herd of horses, and I got so caught up in the dream that when I woke up I had an instinct to throw sharp objects, and I didn't mean to scare you and take off your heads at the same time," she started prattling, an unfortunate habit that she retained when she got in trouble while off the clock.

"It's okay, really," placated Hidaka, his attempt to make Aneko stop talking working. She stopped, flush returning.

"What time is it?" she asked, patting her clothes for her PDA. A quick check behind her found her PDA laying on the floor after she woke up abruptly. She made her way to it, snatching the device off the ground.

"It's nearly six in the evening," Kamo tells her, amused by her scramble to her PDA. "The dinner hour has already started in the cafeteria."

"Why don't we all go there together!" offered Dōmyōji, overjoyed at the prospect of a new friend and a fellow prankster. Before Aneko could answer, her stomach did the talking for her, reminding her of a single hamburger before being sent out several hours ago.

"…Yeah, sure," she agreed quickly, looking at both Kamo and Hidaka for their approval. Kamo inclined his head, while Hidaka shrugged.

"Why not?" was the general consensus.

* * *

The trip to the cafeteria took about ten minutes, after Aneko opted to leave her SCEPTER 4 coat back in her dorm room, rejoining the three Squad 1 members on their way to the aforementioned place.

Soon enough, they bought their dinners, sitting at the same table. Aneko's table manners resembled her battle style; focused, quick, and methodic. She bought two dozen sushi rolls accompanied with a bowl of white rice, offering six to Dōmyōji, who accepted it.

"So, why do you want to join SCEPTER 4?" asked Hidaka over his miso soup, clapping his chopsticks together.

"I'm not in it for power if that's what you want to know," Aneko said first, absently directing a roll into her mouth. She chewed, thinking over her answer. She needed to mix the truth and create lies to avoid suspicion, and she quickly created a story.

"Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to protect people who couldn't do it themselves," she decided to start with the truth, "I did everything I could. Protected younger kids from bullies. Ran after miscreants and handed them to the police. Stopped robberies every so often."

"Sounds like you were a good Samaritan," commented Kamo, interested in the younger woman's tale.

It was time to bend the truth, Aneko noted inwardly, "Yup. One day, a year ago, I was caught in the crossfire with a Strain and landed in the hospital. After I got out, I decided there was no way I was going to be caught off guard like that." She flicked her wrist, sending a dagger out of her harness, flipping it between her fingers.

"A friend showed me how to do this. I've nearly cut my fingers off way too many times," Aneko laughed, holding the end of the blade. She winked at Dōmyōji, letting the knife fall back into her sleeve. With her sleeves slightly open, black fabric could be seen, leading towards her sleeves.

"Uh, I was just wondering," started Hidaka, chewing thoughtfully, "Since you're shadowing Squad 1, do you have blue aura?"

"Munakata-san said he had the ability to create temporary Clansmen," Aneko explained, moving her sleeves so her harness was hidden from sight.

"He has the power to do that?" asked Kamo, surprised. In his years of SCEPTER 4, there'd never been temporary Clansmen.

Aneko nodded, raising one of her hands. She was careful to not look too proficient with the aura, just drawing a tiny fraction of her power. The woman focused, a look of concentration on her face, and worked to produce a tiny snowflake, giving the aura a shape to focus on.

"That's pretty cool," Dōmyōji told her, his eyes widening as he saw the flake grow bigger. Aneko tsked, and the projection disintegrated.

"Sorry. The aura's pretty weak since I'm only temporary," the woman apologized, but Hidaka gave a, "That's alright. It looked really pretty. Like you."

"If you keep that up, I'll stab you," Aneko told him off calmly, picking up her chopsticks again to eat her last roll. She smirked at his baffled face. "Noted," Hidaka said faintly, eating his food to cover for his embarrassment.

"I'm joking, Hidaka-san," giggled Aneko, swallowing her food, "But you better watch yourself." She started eating her rice, listening as the other three started talking about the Red King's surrender.

"Suoh Mikoto, huh?" she asked when there was a lull from the conversation, "The Red King. What's he like?"

"Did you see his Sword of Damocles?" asked Dōmyōji, waving his chopsticks in the air, "That thing is huge."

The woman nodded, humming, "Yeah, I did. Was it always that dull? It looked…broken."

Dōmyōji's eyebrows raised at the statement before he said, "Has it? When Fushimi said his Weismann's Level was starting to destabilize, I didn't know his Sword was going to deteriorate this fast." He shared a glance with Kamo and Hidaka, all of them taking note of the observation.

"Suoh's kinda scary," Hidaka confessed, "I wouldn't want to fight him alone. I don't think anyone of us except the Captain can even scratch him." He abandoned his food for a moment, thinking, "I was surprised he gave himself up so easily."

"What was that broadcast about then? The one earlier," Aneko clarified, her rice gone, and she wiped a stray grain from her face, "That Colorless King sounded crazy…"

"What I'm surprised is who created that aura," Dōmyōji started suddenly, "That was obviously a blue aura, but I don't recognize the voice. It sounded like a girl…" He trailed off, lost in thought.

"Really?" Aneko asked, raising both eyebrows with surprise, "That's weird. I thought only Clansmen have an aura. Unless it was a Strain?"

"That's debatable," Kamo spoke after just listening, "It sounded like the camera hit ice when it fell. There's no way that ice just appeared out of the blue. While it was cold, it wasn't freezing outside."

"Who was the man with the camera? Totsuka Tatara?" asked Aneko, bring the attention right back to the start of the video, "Who is he?"

"He's part of HOMRA," Kamo explained, "I've never seen the man in a fight. His aura appears to be very weak compared to the others. He generally leads a small girl, Kushina Anna, away from the fights before they start."

"The woman said that Totsuka-san's important," Hidaka commented, remembering the video that showed on every television screen in Tokyo.

"To who, though? Suoh Mikoto?" Aneko offered, secretly trying to remember her reasoning for telling Totsuka that. With her food done, she wiped her mouth with a napkin.

"Perhaps. Fushimi-san demanded we find who broadcasted it," Dōmyōji supplied, cleaning his side of the table, "If you excuse me, I need to go work."

The other three bid him farewell, Aneko sighing as he departed their company, and she excused herself, "I need to go back to my dorm." She gathered the empty bowl and plate, waving goodbye to Kamo and Hidaka as she went to throw her trash and leave the cafeteria.


	8. Kapture

Aneko hummed as she strolled down Tsubaki-mon's halls, taking her time to memorize how it looked twenty years before her time. She remembered countless days of running in the halls, getting scolded by Aunt Seri if she knocked into anything, playing hide and seek with Enomoto's son, who was a prankster like his Uncle Dōmyōji. Fencing classes with some of the other Clansmen's younger siblings or children was another fond memory in this building.

The Blue King opened the door to her dorm, striding in and faceplanting onto the bed. She groaned when she remembered that she needed clothing, wishing that clothes would appear out of nowhere. Of course, to no avail, she forced herself to get up, yawning.

Aneko took off her blue coat, approaching a sliding door, and opening it to reveal a wooden bar with clothing hangers stacked on it. She hung the coat, going over to the dresser and opened one of the drawers to find the windbreaker from the day before, putting it on. Her sword belt was removed next, and she placed her short sword into another drawer. She left SCEPTER 4, intent on taking a train to a nearby clothing store. As it was late in the day, there weren't many people, so she was able to go in and out before it closed.

The woman didn't go crazy with spending, buying two sets of casual clothes she could use when she wasn't in her uniform, along with a pair of pajamas. She chose to keep the blue motif, picking things in the shades of blue. Although it ate up most of her money, she was happy with her purchases, taking the train straight back to Tsubaki-mon.

Setting her purchases down, she took off her jacket and dress shirt, taking her harness off. Aneko inspected the blades, noting that some of them needed to be sharpened. After she set it aside on a desk, she started doing pushups, trying to retain some sort of exercise.

Aneko cursed her inability to have any moral support. She hated lying to people to their faces, and it made her skin crawl. She missed her mother. She missed her sister. She missed her father. She wanted the people who knew her.

After the fortieth pushup, she collapsed, resting on her elbows. The urge to scream was overpowering, but she knew that it wouldn't help matters. It took a bit of effort to get up, sitting on a nearby chair.

Even though she hadn't been doing much since yesterday, she could feel exhaustion in her bones. Pulling her PDA out of her pocket, she checked the time. 9:24. A glance at the battery life made her groan.

Getting up was not an option. With heavy legs, the red eyed woman walked over to the closet, rummaging into her Captain's coat pockets. She thanked Kami that her coat pockets were spacious, and that she usually carried a charger in case her PDA needed it.

Luckily, electrical plugs hadn't changed over the years, so she was able to charge her PDA, laying it on a bedside. One crisis avoided, Aneko took a shower, and steamed the whole bathroom with hot air.

Drying her hair quickly and putting her new pajamas on, she collapsed on her bed like a few hours prior, and fell asleep.

* * *

A loud ring woke Aneko up, the woman slapping the bedside. The caller ID read "Dad", and she sleepily accepted the call, mumbling "Dad? What's up?"

"Munakata-san," said a familiar voice, and the woman jolted into full wakefulness as if burned. "Uh, Captain!" she said a little too loudly. Her confusion cleared quickly, memories hitting her like a freight train.

"I thought my coming here was a dream," she told the man on the other end of the phone, and then she asked, "Is there a reason you called me at…" Aneko blinked at the time, reading, "5 in the morning?"

"Shiraki Sugita requested you," Munakata told her, and she jolted up, sending herself off the bed, yelping when she hit the ground. "That was quick," the woman said from the floor, groaning.

"Is everything alright?" asked the man dryly, and she popped up, completely fine. "I'm going to be fine. I'll be ready in ten minutes tops, I'll go to your office!" She hit the end call button, rushing to the bathroom to brush her teeth.

In ten minutes, Aneko was running in the halls, her purchased civilian clothes abandoned in favor for her uniform. She stopped at the Captain's office, catching her breath, and knocked. "Come in," came a response from inside the room, and Aneko let herself in.

"Good morning, Munakata-san," she said curtly, losing her traces of childish behavior. Munakata was sitting on his legs on the mats to the side of his table, drinking a steaming cup of tea.

"Sit," he ordered, and Aneko removed her boots, walking over in socks, mimicking the other King's position.

"Shiraki-san was caught after attempting to use an internet café," he started, and the woman noted his eyes were staring straight at the teapot that sat before him, "As an oversight, he used his name, which was caught in the system. Squad 2 was sent to apprehend him, and he is currently residing in the cell farthest away from Suoh."

"Did he put up a fight?" asked Aneko, "He's fairly proficient in combat, and other than his Strain power, he can utilize jungle's aura." Her fingers tapped her knees, restlessness causing her to twitch.

"Half of the Squad was incapacitated in the altercation that ensued," Munakata disclosed, and looked at the woman who sat beside him. It didn't appear that he was affected by the news, but the woman noticed the slight downturn of his mouth.

"I'm sorry to hear that." she said, "Are they in recovery? I'm surprised he hasn't fled to this world's jungle, it would've been off the records and out of sight. It appears he's as stuck here as I am until his ability regenerates itself."

"Please, help yourself," Munakata gestured at a full cup that sat next to the teapot, and Aneko accepted the offer, taking the cup and sipping from it.

"Thank you," she sincerely thanked him, "I…I am still troubled by this whole ordeal, and I will make sure he's prosecuted in my world, I can promise you that. When did he ask for me?" In one motion, she drank the rest of her tea, waiting for Munakata's response.

"About twenty minutes ago," revealed the Blue King, and he finished his own tea, moving to stand. Munakata put his boots on, and Aneko mimicked him, leaving her cup on the tea platter. She subconsciously fidgeted, feeling her daggers start to poke at her side.

"Come with me," Munakata ordered, and she trailed after him toward the jailhouse. The trip took about twenty minutes, the sound of walking echoing in quiet, empty halls. Aneko caught the glances of the clansmen guarding the jailhouse, their eyes filled with caution even as Munakata greeted them.

The doors to the jail opened, and she could see more doors to cells lined along the walls. Munakata led her to the door farthest away from the entrance, the door shifting as the two approached.

Shiraki Sugita was laying on his bench, staring at the cell's entrance with green eyes. "Munakata Aneko," he said, sitting up. The man was in his early thirties, his pale complexion complimenting silver hair falling into his eyes. He was wearing the same ensemble as when he was leading the jungle raid, which was a grey shirt and black pants.

Silver Strain and Aura neutralizing shackles encircled his wrists, heavy duty chain weighing down on his arms and restricting his movement. "SCEPTER 4's Snow Leopard and Blue King, as well as HOMRA's brat. I would welcome you, but we both know what you're here for."

"Speak, Shiraki. You wanted me here. Why," Aneko demanded, red eyes hardening as she stepped forward, aware of Munakata monitoring her.

"You have no leverage against me," Shiraki smugly told her, "I'm your only ticket out of this world. I bet Nagare-san's already decimating your Clan as we speak. You can't do _anything_." He grinned, leaning forward.

"My Clan's stronger than you think. The Red and Silver Clans wouldn't let jungle win either. Even so, I have faith, while you're grasping at straws," Aneko smoothly rebutted, "My Father may no longer be King, but he is a warrior in his own right." She smirked as Shiraki's grin faltered, and a sadistic glint reflected in her eyes.

"As of this moment, I am not the Captain of SCEPTER 4, nor HOMRA's brat, as you said, which means I don't have any rules restricting _me_. You'll find that I can be even worse than Fushimi Saruhiko in getting what I want," Aneko purred, "Do remember that." She inclined her head, waiting for a response.

"I'll destroy your whole family, Munakata," Shiraki growled, "I'll kill every single one of them, mark my words. And your beloved sister is going to go first." His grin returned as Aneko clenched her fists. She then schooled her expression, a metaphorical mask fitting over her face.

"From the data I've gathered, the usage of your Strain power needs an ample recharge period before you can dimension jump. Since you brought me along with you, it would take about two weeks for your powers to fraction. Even if you could get close to my sister to kill her…" the Blue King laughed, her whole body relaxing.

"My sister is the Third and Red King, Shiraki- _san_. One who may be a pacifist, yes, but she is a phoenix in human skin. Nagare-san might be older than her, but she's the one who stays Suoh Mika's hand. The one who is the Lioness of HOMRA, I might add," she said softly.

Aneko's eyes gleamed in the dim light of the cell, red overlaid with a shimmering blue to create a deep violet. "I may look a lot like my father, but that doesn't overshadow what I got from my _mother_. I'll show you how much of a lion I can be." A wicked smirk is on the woman's lips for a moment before disappearing, returning back to her mask.

The woman turned to Munakata, inclining her head, "I have no further wish to speak to him," she softly stated, her eyes and gave one glance back as Shiraki she turned her back. "Let me leave before my temper gets the better of me."

Munakata stepped out of the way, allowing the other King to sweep by him. Aneko didn't say anything until they walked into Munakata's office before shuddering.

"That man is not to be thought of lightly," she said, breaking the silence that surrounded the two Kings. "That display earlier was not of arrogance, but if he knew I was worried…" Aneko trailed off, her eyes going distant, "He'd use it against me. I can't let him see me shatter."

"Do you have a plan?" Munakata asked, his thoughts organizing. He could see that even though the older woman had put on a brave face, her mask was crumbling in some places. Her gait was much tenser than it had been since she arrived here, and the air around her was much colder than it ought to be.

"Finding the Colorless King is my first objective," Aneko said decisively, "If he must die, I will gladly drench my blade in blood." Her gaze drifted to where her saber rested against the wall, her fingers twitching.

"You have decided to be their Judge, Jury and Executioner?" Munakata prompted, and the woman looked away. "As you are not of this world, you don't have jurisdiction."

"Listen, Munakata-san," Aneko said firmly, shifting her weight in a defensive position, "If Suoh Mikoto is anything like Munakata Mika, he will either kill the Colorless King or die trying."

The woman started to pace, throwing her thoughts out, "If he does, by the state of his Sword of Damocles, it will definitely fall. A recommendation would be to speak to him and avoid another Kagutsu Crater, or you may have to destroy Suoh yourself." Aneko sighed, grasping her left elbow with a hand. "And when he dies, Kushina Anna will be the next Red King." Her pacing stopped, and she raised a hand to her face.

"I'd like to be excused," she said finally, "I need to blow off some steam before I ice the building." Aneko turned to Munakata, awaiting his response. She could feel hunger gnawing in her stomach, and she could feel ice rushing through her veins.

"You will not, in any circumstance, engage the Colorless King, Munakata-san," Munakata commanded, "Or the rest of HOMRA. That is an order." Aneko could see his eyes turn icy, violet hues shimmering. She saluted him stiffly, knowing if she spoke things would really turn for the worst.

"You are excused," Munakata said as a parting gesture. Aneko bowed, turning and walking away, and out of the younger King's sight.


	9. Katharsis

Aneko stood outside the Captain's office, she stopped, breathing deeply to calm her nerves. She started walking again, letting herself find the building's training room. The room was outfitted with hard light projectors that mimicked human opponents. It was regularly used for clansmen to hone their skills by themselves. If a simulation got too out of hand, a safe word was used to shut off the projectors to avoid any other bodily harm.

A control panel can be seen to the wall immediately to the right of the entrance, and Aneko locked the door, setting her conditions to the spar. Lights activated, and she walked to the middle of the room.

Elaborate holograms formed around her, and with a swift motion, she had her long dagger withdrawn and ready. When the barely physical opponents were sliced, the limbs turned into cubes of light, scattering and disappearing when they hit the ground.

As more opponents were created, she let her aura flare and summoned her knives in an old and familiar dance. With every motion, blue pixels could be seen, and ice crept out from under Aneko's feet. Her aura was strong enough to defeat her opponents by itself, and the effort it took to avoid creating her Sword started to strain her meager energy even more.

When the woman exhausted her anger, she called out the safe word. "Crimson!" Automatically, the hard light projectors froze, the created fighters stopping and dematerializing. Aneko fell to her knees, panting harshly. Ice was cold under her palms, and she could see her own breath, white smoke puffing with every pant. Her long dagger was abandoned, laying on ice from about five feet away.

Her fingers gripped at the ice, and she pushed herself up. The Blue King didn't know how long her training exercise took, but the warmth of constant motion kept her from freezing, not that her aura ever gave her a cold. She glanced at her surroundings, the ice encrusting the walls and the high ceiling. The room felt more like a refrigerator than a training room, and nubs of icicles were forming, dangling over her head.

The ice was thick as she strode over to her throwing knives, pulling them out from the frost covered walls. Her empty harness itched at her skin, but otherwise, she felt better than when she came in. Soon, she had fistfuls of knives, and she sat cross-legged on the ice, laying them down.

Her coat wasn't much use in the chilly room, so she took it off, the heavy cloth little help from the cold inside and outside of the fabric. She unbuckled her harness, numb fingers squeezing the little latches and pulling the small strips of Velcro from underneath her button down.

Aneko cursed her emotional weakness as tears started to streak down her face, the wet tracks feeling colder with the low temperature of the room. She wiped them away, the roughness of her hands scraping the soft skin of her face.

She counted the daggers before she undid her shirt, the thin fabric of her undershirt the only protection from the cold. Throwing knives were snuggly reloaded into the harness, and it went back on, the light clicks of the buckles slightly echoing in the large room.

The ice created from the woman's aura would melt in about ten minutes after she confined her power, the unnatural ice being a distant memory in an hour. Unfortunately, the water would still remain, but it would most likely dry quickly.

Aneko stood up to take her long dagger from where it laid on the floor, sheathing the weapon. She pulled out her PDA, noting the time. "It's 7:30 in the morning already?" she asked out loud. She left the training room, guiltily looking at the ice that was starting to melt, leaving growing puddles.

She found herself back in her dorm room, the exhaustion getting to her. It had taken a lot of effort not to call upon her Sword, or Tsubaki-mon would really become an ice palace. It felt like the trip from the training room to her dorm was a distant dream.

The aura usage didn't help her hunger in any bit, and she dragged herself to the shower, depositing her blue coat onto her bed. She glanced at the mirror, her reflection baring slightly blue lips as she looked like she hadn't slept for decades.

It was very likely her shower used up most of the hot water in the dorms, and she didn't regret one bit.

Making her way to the dorm's communal kitchen felt like forever as she trudged over there in civilian clothing, which was a pale blue t-shirt covered by a darker blue sweater partially unzipped, and navy blue jeans held up by her uniform belt. Her fleece windbreaker was laid on top of her sweater to give better protection against the elements.

Her entrance was greeted by seeing Fushimi at the center table, the man in the middle of eating breakfast. It looked like he had a permanent scowl etched his face. He looked up when she came in, not commenting on the woman's exhausted slump. She walked over to a cabinet in the small kitchen, picking at a box of cereal, honey nut cheerios by the looks of it, and getting a bowl, making her breakfast and sliding the bowl with a passive gesture.

Aneko sat on a chair flicking through her PDA, going through her own anime collection looking for something to watch. She settled on an old Naruto episode, laying the device on the table flat, the hard light projector turning on at the motion, and she settled into her breakfast.

Fushimi gave the woman a disapproving look, and when she noticed his stare, his eyes narrowed.

"What, you don't like ninjas?" Aneko asked sardonically, fed up with the man's nonverbal attitude, "I'm really getting sick of your shit, Fushimi-san." She paused the video with a wave, bringing her attention to him fully.

"I can't believe you're Captain's kid," Fushimi said, the first words spoken since Aneko had arrived.

"And _I_ can't believe you're Misaki's husband in my time," she retorted, and Fushimi froze, shock evident. "Let alone my mentor. I guess mom was right when she said you were an acquired taste as a kid." Aneko sighed, before spooning cereal into her mouth.

"Your world is weird," Fushimi decided, not even bothering with the information.

She chewed thoughtfully, swallowing, "You two have a cute kid, though. Went to my alma mater. Adorable." Aneko picked up her PDA, going into her photo gallery.

A hologram of a teen with hazel eyes and dark blue hair appeared, wearing a high school uniform consisting of a uniform suit jacket and a slightly unbuttoned white shirt, a bright red tie around his neck. He wore thick glasses, his dark blue hair slightly brushing his eyes.

The picture depicted the boy flipping a throwing knife, the blade airborne as his hand poised to catch it. The knife was identical to the ones Fushimi used in battle. His eyes were narrowed with concentration, a slight smirk on his face, and a flicker of red could be seen on the blade in the air.

"Yata Yuuma. You were insistent that he didn't take your name," the woman told him, going back at her cereal, "Science comes a long way. We perfected rewriting genetic code of sperm and eggs to allow same-sex couples to have children. It turns out a kid with two parents with red aura inherits that ability."

Finished, Aneko let her spoon fall into the empty bowl with a clatter, "He's with the Interrogation Squad, back home. Sometimes I request for him to step in for an absent Squad 1 member. He's a destructive force on the battlefield. He is your son, after all."

Aneko stood up, washing the used items, and turning back to the table as she wiped everything dry.

Fushimi just sat there, silent as ever. It appeared that he was coming to terms with the idea that an alternate version of him had a kid and married Misaki of all people.

"I'll see you around, Fushimi-san. Have fun with finding the Colorless King," she said as a farewell, but a, "Wait," from the young man made her pause.

"I know it was you," Fushimi spoke up from his seat, having turned to stare Aneko in the face. "Hm?" she responded, "Do you now?"

"I know your voice. You're the one who saved that HOMRA member," the Clansman elaborated, blue meeting red. One of his fingers twitched, and if Aneko wasn't wrong, he was itching to summon one of his knives.

"So what? In my world, this happened already. I wasn't King, then. Dad was. Totsuka Tatara should've been dead," Aneko said nonchalantly, "Anyway, the Captain already knows. That's why I'm 'shadowing' your Squad, under my request. If that's all, I'll see you around." She walked away briskly to avoid any further questions.

With a parting text to Munakata to tell him she was going to be in the city, she left Tsubaki-mon without a backwards glance.

* * *

AN: I'm going on a short hiatus, its finals week!


	10. Vakation Day

Heh...long time no see?

* * *

As Aneko walked thorough Tokyo, she went over her options. Wandering back into HOMRA's territory wasn't the best idea, seeing as Tatara was most likely recovering in the second floor of the bar, and the mall was out of the question, because some HOMRA members, Yata in particular, would eventually be investigating in there.

By this time, Fushimi and Akiyama would be disrupting a weapons pickup and confront some HOMRA members.

If her timeline was right, the amnesiac Silver King and Miyabi would be chased by the Black Dog, going on how Yata was griping about being shouldered in the stomach by said man later. Granted, being hit anywhere was generally unpleasant. Would more sightseeing be a good thing? Going to, say, the Timeless Palace was out of the question.

An unknown woman talking to the Gold King? That would be impossible. If anything, after her father went to the Palace, he had a somberness that had lasted through the day after inspecting Weismann's dead body. It also didn't help that he relayed that the other King was hostile upon his visit.

The absence of her SCEPTER 4 uniform didn't help, she thought as she crossed the street. Calculating her leftover amount of money after last night's shopping spree, she had more than enough for a bit of fun.

* * *

A few hours later, Aneko stretched after she made her way out of a cinema, the brightness of the sun hitting her in the face. She'd relaxed, watching her mom's favorite movie that was still in theaters in this world.

Her next stop was a museum she visited plenty of times in her world, and she was interested in how much this world compared to hers.

The trip was interesting, particularly after she found a few more glaring differences. The Kagutsu Crater happened in 1999, not 2003. Which meant that Munakata and Suoh were only 11 when it occurred. Even stranger, SCEPTER 4 was headed by Munakata Reishi when the man was 18, not 22.

Thinking back, it would explain how Uncle Saru betrayed HOMRA, albeit for different reasons. Since Yata wasn't the Red King, it had to be because of Suoh Mikoto. Even in her world, Uncle Saruhiko would be anxious in Mika's presence, and Aneko had brushed it off as her mother being legitimately scary.

Her Father said that even back then, jungle targeted Uncle Saru in numerous attempts to drag him to their side. If the then Blue King Munakata Reishi wasn't the one who stopped it, who knew what would happen. Uncle Saruhiko was a very powerful man, even as a kid. Her father kind've teased the man a little, bringing up how Uncle Saru was like when he was eighteen.

The Blue King sat at a hard bench that seemed to be in every room of the museum, looking over the History of World War II. Her thoughts wandered as she looked over the grainy black and white pictures that filled the exhibit, thinking about Shiraki for the first time after leaving Tsubaki-mon.

Shiraki's boldness was worrying, although Aneko knew that her family could take care of themselves. The likelihood of HOMRA needing to step in at Anna's command to salvage the operation was very high, especially because she was effectively MIA until the Strain regained his ability.

A glance at her watch showed it was already creeping to two o'clock, time passing without Aneko noticing. She jolted when a hand touched her shoulder, looking over to see a security guard checking to see if she was okay.

A quick reassurance made the guard leave her alone, the woman standing up from her seat. The King left, idly strolling through the city as hours ticked by. Eventually, boredom reared its head, so she returned to Tsubaki-mon, buying a bag of chips as a snack and eating it on the way.

Aneko sat onto her bed heavily as she pulled her windbreaker off, the blue fabric hitting the floor. She discarded her sweater in the same direction of her windbreaker, then laid down. Her feet were planted on the ground, and her boots were clear of the bed's cover. She closed her eyes, breathing silently. The day was kind of a waste. It was cold, not enough to warrant a heavy coat, but there was less sun than she liked.

Technically the museum trip was useful. Learning more about this world's history was intriguing, with so many smaller differences from her own world.

Aneko didn't feel great if she felt there was too much downtime. She was like her father in that regard, always ready to set out on her duties. She got up and started to pace, PDA retrieved from her pocket.

The woman set up her PDA, playing a music playlist with the device laid on the bed stand. She started practicing her forms, using her long dagger in lieu of her saber. While Aneko practiced, her mind moved back to her own world.

She didn't want the tragedies that happened in her father's reign to be repeated in this world, where she could stop the death and temporary death of Uncle Tatara and Weismann. Though history here couldn't differ too much from her own world, there was still an itch to protect Japan from whatever damage SCEPTER 4 and HOMRA were going to cause.

The week and a half between Tatara's death and both the Silver and Colorless Kings death was one of the hardest times Aneko had ever faced, as both SCEPTER 4 as her duty, and to her friends and family of HOMRA.

The Ashinaka Incident had also strained Mika's and Reishi's relationship, both of them disagreeing on how the Colorless King would be drawn out and brought to justice.

Her father recommended covert surveillance, sending different squads out to track any leads to subdue and arrest the rouge King. However, her mother, stricken by her close and longtime friend's death, demanded to literally smoke the Colorless King out, no matter the cost.

Although the fiery Clanswoman didn't mention the full extent of her 'justice' for her treasured friend's death, everyone knew what she'd do. Even Yata agreed, as HOMRA's Red King, that someone was going to die. There was no question about it.

The Blue King's train of thought was broken when the music cut out, her ringtone blaring instead. Aneko stopped, sheathing the dagger and picking her PDA and reading the caller ID.

"Hey, Captain," she said, accepting the call, "Have any news from Suoh-san?" The woman walked to the closet to retrieve a fresh linin, dabbing at the sweat beaded on her forehead.

"Suoh-san refused to step down from his throne, as expected" Munakata Reishi replied, "It appears as though he expects I know who saved Totsuka-san's life. You need to tread carefully in the coming days."

"Don't worry, Captain. I haven't forgotten my orders. What is the purpose of this call?" the woman asked, throwing the towel aside onto the floor.

"Come to my office as soon as you can. There is a person of interest we need to discuss," Munakata ordered, and then hung up.

Aneko stared at her PDA, then shrugged. "Right…" The device was tossed onto the bed while she went to wash her face, letting the cool water drip onto the sink. It would've been weird to walk into Munakata's office dressed as a civilian, so she took a lightning quick shower, putting on her uniform.

As the woman walked through the halls, she wondered why she had to see the younger man so often. She'd only been in this world less than a week, yet she was called to his office nearly every day. The most she'd ever called on one of her subordinates in one week was three times, and that was when she became the Blue King.

The other SCEPTER 4 employees didn't bother her in the halls, already wrapped up in finding who and where the Colorless King was.

She bumped into Hidaka, who looked surprised to see her. She waved at him, and he beelined toward her.

"Munakata-san!" he beamed, a tablet held tightly to his chest with one arm and waving with the other, "Fancy meeting you here. Fushimi-san said you went off on your own in the morning." His eyebrows raised, noting how Aneko looked a bit stressed.

"I'm sorry, but I have to see Reishi-kun in a few minutes, Hidaka-san. I'll try to look for you later," she apologized, biting her lip as her expression softened.

"Oh," Hidaka deflated, before perking up, "That's okay. Um...you can call me Akira, if you want. I guess I'll see you some other time then. Good luck with Captain." He walked off, whistling cheerfully.

Aneko sighed and continued on her way, stopping at the Captain's office door. She knocked with the side of her fist, and a muffled "Come in." came through the solid wood.

"Captain, you wanted to see…me…" the woman stopped talking once she realized who else was in the room.

Totsuka Tatara.

…. Oh no.

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Note:...I have no excuses  
｡(*^▽^*)ゞ


	11. ShocK

Summary: Aneko's brain needs rebooting, Munakata gets yelled at, and day is seeing a new light.

* * *

Aneko stared while the door closed behind her, her mind blanking before a flurry of thoughts crossed it. Totsuka!? Here!? Since when? Did he know who she was? What she did? Why was he here, wouldn't HOMRA notice if he up and left?

Before coming here, the last time she saw Tata-oji was…that day. The event that changed her view of life. Munakata had no right to spring him on her.

Before she could speak, Totsuka got up from where he was drinking tea with Munakata. The man looked a bit rumpled, but he smiled like he was fine.

"It was you that night, wasn't it?" Totsuka spoke first, walking towards the speechless woman, "I never had a chance to thank you for saving me."

"How…how did you know it was me? Why did you come here?" Aneko's words came out in a rush once her mouth started working, subconsciously leaning backwards. She was frozen like a deer in the headlights, confronted with a younger version of her beloved uncle, who was whole and alive.

"To be honest, the blue aura gave it away," Totsuka smiled, "And you were clearly a girl. My camera couldn't pick up your voice because of the wind, but I remembered."

"…" the woman's tongue felt like lead, and she could feel her face heat up. Of course. Of fucking course. She'd forgotten that when her father was King, SCEPTER 4 was lacking severely in female management.

When her Kingship started, almost all of the original Sword Squad 1 disbanded within a year to go into other jobs or SCEPTER 4 positions, leaving about a dozen posts to be filled. She looked for women to apply for the job to even the gender ratio in her squads.

Considering there were only two dozen or so women in such a big organization, a change of pace was sorely needed. Another consideration was that she seemed to just know who to ask to be her Clansmen.

Even so, if Tatara could remember that much about the other night, why wasn't HOMRA knocking down their door? Wouldn't the rest catch on? The other members weren't completely idiots by far, so they should've put two and two together.

"Heh…the rest of the guys don't know. You're wondering why HOMRA isn't actively looking for you, right? It's written all over your face," Totsuka continues, looking a little amused by how red Aneko's face is getting.

"Uh, yeah," Aneko scratched her chin, "But why did you come here?" She gestured toward the whole room with her arms, momentarily dropping them before deciding to cross them.

"Totsuka-san wanted to thank you in person," Munakata cut in, taking advantage of how the other Blue King was still stunned and relatively speechless. He had an infuriating smile on his face, Aneko seethed inwardly. Her father was really an asshole, no matter the age.

"Yeah. Sorry about the late hour," Totsuka grinned sheepishly, and Aneko's fatigued mind remembered that it was already seven in the evening.

"I also saw you before. At HOMRA, when I left. You didn't see me because you were focused on Izumo-kun, but I noticed you. For a second, I thought you were Munakata-san, but I saw your eyes…" he trailed off, collecting his thoughts, "Your eyes reminded me of King. That's why I remembered you."

"I can't believe I didn't notice anyone staring at me," Aneko muttered finally, scratching the back of her neck out of embarrassment with a sheepish expression.

"You looked really engrossed in your conversation, so I didn't announce myself," Tatara smiled innocently, "I really do appreciate it. When the Colorless King pulled out a gun, I thought I was a goner. And then you showed up, you called me important. It felt special."

"Of course, you're special, and important. You've always have been," Aneko managed, and the younger man chuckled slightly.

"Being reminded every once in a while, is always nice," Tatara admitted, "I only meant to stop by for a few minutes, before the rest of HOMRA comes knocking. I'm glad you were there. I can't imagine leaving King to fight his battles alone." He bowed politely, then made his way to the door.

"Munakata-san, maybe I can offer you a drink at HOMRA as a thank you one of these days," he offered, holding onto the knob, before leaving, the door closing softly behind him.

The woman turned, glaring daggers at the younger Blue King. "Why didn't you say anything!? How dare you, Munakata Reishi!" she shouted, voice strained from the flux in emotions from the past twenty minutes.

Tears were threatening to spill, the burden of speaking to a man she knew as dead, who had been dead for six years producing conflicting emotions. The same man she cried over after saving him.

"Totsuka-san wanted to thank you for saving his life, and if you knew he was here, you would've refused," Munakata said in a measured tone. He didn't look smug, only resolute in his decision, "Refusing the man you saved would only make him more suspicious of anything we are withholding. You said so yourself, keeping your secrets are important. The wrong step can invite chaos."

"How cruel, but sadly true. It would've looked really sketchy if you pretended to be ignorant. But a little warning would be nice. You're lucky I didn't have a panic attack, Reishi," Aneko glared. "That wouldn't have ended well for any of us."

"I apologize, Munakata-san," Munakata sounded surprisingly genuine, "Your situation is unique, and I understand my actions have overstepped your boundaries." He bowed, and the other King accepted the apology with a sigh.

"Apology accepted. Don't do that again," she warned, before walking in front of Munakata's desk, "Where did you put my saber? I want it back." It ate at her, the realisation of how far the younger man would go to meet his ends.

"Have I overstepped too far?" Munakata asked mildly, getting up from his seat and kneeling down. He ran his fingers along the tatami mats covering the left side of the floor, gripping the edge of one and pulling it off the floor and revealing a hidden compartment under false flooring.

Inside was a box big enough to hide a saber in, and he opened it, removing the precious contents within. Munakata replaced everything, the mat covering the compartment again, before he presented it to the older King.

Aneko only responded when the saber was in her hands, gripping the sheathe lightly before placing it on her sword belt, where it belonged.

"Yeah. Maybe you did." She stood there for a moment before walking towards the door, "Good luck finding the Colorless King, and good night."

Leaving the room is easy, the King holding onto her mask as she walks out, hiding her pain behind a pensive smile.

Even though its late enough to be time for dinner, she didn't feel hungry, the shock from earlier disturbing her appetite. Aneko walked through the halls, going slowly as her saber shifted with every step.

"Oh, hey! Munakata-san!" a jovial voice shouted from behind, and the woman turned to see Dōmyōji run up to her. He grinned at her, Aneko returning the smile.

"Hidaka was looking for you. He said he saved a table in the canteen, do you wanna come?" the Clansman asked, eyes widening endearingly. The man was bouncing on his toes, the thoughts of dinner exciting.

"Weeeellll, I'm not that hungry…" the older woman trailed off, only for Dōmyōji to proclaim, "That's okay! Even a snack would be great. Come on!"

With that, he took her by the hand and started to tug her towards the canteen, Aneko's eyes widening as she took quick steps so they didn't fall over.

"Well, if you really want to," she sighed, and relented, allowing him to drag her there, the other members who were still around not even glancing at the duo half running through the halls.

"Anyway, Kamo-san's there, and so's Enomoto-san," Dōmyōji added, after they passed the entrance of the canteen. There were quite a few people in Scepter 4 uniform, chatting to each other in pleasant tones.

"Hey guys!" Hidaka waved, some of the occupants of the room glancing at him before looking away, "Come on, I'm starving!"

"I doubt that," Enomoto muttered from beside the brown-haired man before looking up to see the newcomers, "Oh, hello. You were with us when the Red King surrendered. I'm Enomoto Tatsuya."

"Nice to meet you, Enomoto-san," Aneko pulled out an empty chair, sitting on it immediately, "I'm Munakata Aneko, Rei-kun's older cousin. He hasn't mentioned me, has he?" She smiled at him, a small one that didn't quite meet her eyes. The King felt bad that she was meeting Enomoto officially for the first time when she was already mentally and emotionally drained, and the woman knew the younger man could see it.

"Captain doesn't talk about family matters often," shrugged Hidaka, "But if he letting you join SCEPTER 4, then he must trust you a lot." He grinned at her before he got up to order his dinner.

"I'm sorry if I seem a bit cold, Enomoto-san, I'm just tired," apologized Aneko, slumping in her seat, "This whole Clan thing is a lot to wrap my head around."

"That's alright. It was for us too," the younger man smiled slightly before his gaze followed where Hidaka went, "You'll get used to it. Anyway, dinner?" He got up from his chair, making his way to order.

Aneko opted for the smallest size of udon, to account for her lack of appetite. She waited for everyone else to come back before starting on her dinner, robotically eating.

The Blue Clansmen chatted amongst themselves, occasionally bringing Aneko into conversation. The King could clearly remember them from her childhood, and they hadn't changed much. She laughed when they made jokes and picked out whatever useful information they shared.

According to them, Fushimi was still working overtime on reports, which was why she hadn't really seen him as of late. Saruhiko was always one to work without breaks.

It was nearing 9 when the group of 5 dispersed, the cafeteria staff warning them that it was near closing time.

"Hopefully you guys can find the Colorless King soon," Aneko waved as she went into her dorm, taking off her boots quickly.

Aneko dropped onto her bed with a full stomach and a troubled mind, going back to the meeting only three hours earlier.

Totsuka Tatara knew who she was. Perhaps not the full story, not the reason she knew he was going to die, but enough. HOMRA hadn't known her interference, but they would find out soon enough.

Changing into her bedclothes and brushing her teeth, Aneko plugged in her PDA, setting it on the dresser. Bed time it was.

* * *

Next Day

Aneko woke up early, feeling an itch to do something. She glanced at her PDA, noting it wasn't even daylight yet. The King left her dorm, dressed in civilian clothing with daggers holstered as she made her way to a building she knew had public roof access. Sunrise would be soon, and she reveled in the cool wind that blew around the roof.

The woman was facing the bay, waiting for the sun to come up as she leaned on a railing. The sun was always beautiful, strands of red creeping into the dark blue of the night, creating violet in some areas.

Aneko had to glance away when the sun became too bright and called upon her aura.

Sparkling strips of blue glimmered as it rose from her surroundings, the cracklings of ice forming around her feet. The aura's sheen reflected the sun's rays, refracting and lighting up the concrete floor.

No matter how much she'd seen the rays of new light filtering through her aura, the sight always mesmerized her. It reminded her of the pictures of the sunrise in the Arctic, of how the snow in each image seemed to have an otherworldly shine.

Aneko did this frequently in her own world, going to a tall roof before sunset, allowing the sun to enhance the beauty of her aura. No one had ever said a power that could protect or destroy couldn't be beautiful.

The woman stood there for a few minutes, before extending her aura's reach, and creating a tiny miniature replica of her Sword in the space beside her. She looked carefully at the tiny details, the scaled area around the Sword's grip and the trio of jewels in the end of the hilt.

If she wanted, she could disperse the replica and create her real Sword. However, that would be a pretty obvious beacon she was there. And that there was a completely different Blue Sword. To be fair, she only summoned it when she arrived, and the itch to recreate it was starting.

The King released the miniature projection of her Sword, leaning on the railing again as the town of Shizume came alive.

"I'll protect this world," she declared, a breeze picking up as the streets start to fill with people, "I won't let Shiraki, the Colorless King, or jungle destroy it."

Aneko's words are scattered into the wind, but she knew she's telling the truth. She frowned, feelings of missing her family and her subordinates rising to the surface.

Sato Nori was her kouhai in high school, two years below than hers. He was also part of the school's Kendo Club, and she remembered watching him practice against the other club members. She approached him with the job right after he got out of a community college, when she was wandering around looking for people to join her new Clan.

It took him about two years before she officially made him her lieutenant on Saber Squad 1, and Maeda Katsumi became her third right after.

Katusmi-chan was about 19 going on 20 when she joined SCEPTER 4. The teen had seen one of the advertisements for the job, and Aneko knew almost instantly the younger girl would have a place in her Clan. Katsumi was a common class Strain with the power to feel people's emotions, and it was a good skill to have when negotiating.

Nori-kun as a person wasn't very sociable, but he was very bright. According to her dad, Hiko-oji was like that as a teen and young adult, but Nori wasn't high in edginess levels. Nori wasn't a really fun person either, but between the two, Aneko would take an edgy Nori over an edgy Saruhiko any day.

Aneko just watched the cars drive, tiny people walking on the sidewalk below, allowing the sounds of life reach her ears, and smiled.

Hm. She'd get back to work later.

* * *

Yeah it's kinda filler, but next chapter will hopefully have more action.


End file.
